Governance and accountability

The Governance structure for the Best Start in Life Action Plan is shown below in Figure 1. It sets out how decision-making and reporting flows across our early years system. 

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Figure 1: Governance structure for Best Start in Life Cumberland. A diagram showing the governance structure and lines of reporting across Cumberland, including strategic groups and reporting pathways.

To ensure the plan is deliverable and aligned with wider work across Cumberland, all action plan development has been informed by the strategic planning groups shown in Figure 2.

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Figure 2: Key Linked Strategies to Best Start in Life Cumberland. A diagram showing how key strategies and action plans in Cumberland align with and support the Best Start in Life priorities.

Accountability to families

A core commitment of the plan is to strengthen co‑production and increase the empowerment of families across our early years partnership. The communication, reporting and accountability arrangements shown in Figure 1 are designed to ensure this commitment is embedded across all areas of work.

Cumberland’s Best Start in Life Strategic Group includes representation from our Communications Team and is responsible for providing regular updates to families about the progress of the plan. We are committed to learning how to hear the voices of babies and young children more effectively and to continually improve participation and engagement. This includes creating more opportunities for families to contribute to meaningful co‑design of services and ensuring their lived experiences inform decision‑making across the partnership.